Jakarta – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has announced a toll of 30 people killed, six others still missing and losses of around Rp 144 billion (US$10.3 million) in the floods and landslides that occurred in Bengkulu following extreme rainfall on April 26 and 27.
"[Total] losses may increase, as the Bengkulu Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) is still collecting data on the impacts of the floods and landslides. The figure could be higher, considering the wide area affected by the floods," BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement on Wednesday.
The BNPB recorded that 554 houses were heavily damaged, 160 were moderately damaged and 511 were lightly damaged.
In addition, seven schools were heavily damaged and one school was lightly damaged, while seven other schools were submerged in mud.
While 74.28 percent of the electricity service had been restored by April 30, thousands of households still did not have electricity.
The agency also recorded that 3,000 hectares of agricultural land was damaged and 857 livestock animals killed in the disaster.Disaster aid for thousands of evacuees has started arriving as floodwaters receded and roads were cleared of mud and debris.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) deployed Search and Rescue (SAR) teams to three villages to find missing victims. (ars)